US To Outpace Europe In 3G Mobile Uptake
The US is set to outpace Europe in growth of the number and penetration of 2.5G and 3G mobile phone users, according to forecasts from Morgan Stanley as reported by eMarketer.
This is something of a turnaround as previously the US has lagged somewhat behind Europe in the roll-out of new mobile technologies. Third generation (3G) services will allow mobile users to access multimedia services, including audio, video and gaming content (see Forecasts).
Currently, only 1.2% of the European mobile users (3.7 million) have a 2.5G or 3G phone; in the US the figure is slightly higher at 7.1% (10.3 million users), according to the Morgan Stanley figures.
By 2004, the US figure is forecast to rise to 114.7 million users – 65.8% of all mobile owners; European 3G ownership will be just 35.8 million, or 10.6%, by this time.
